You're A Better Artist Than You Think – Details, episodes & analysis

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You're A Better Artist Than You Think

Chris Oatley

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/32d. Total Eps: 18

In “You're A Better Artist Than You Think,” host Chris Oatley (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation) explores the mindset, strategies and practices of professional artists from a wide range of creative fields. Whether you're a total beginner or seasoned pro, this podcast provides actionable insights to enhance your creative skills and advance your artistic career. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at MagicBoxAcademy.com

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http://MagicBoxAcademy.com
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http://DigitalArtBrushes.com
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https://howtobecomeaprofessionalartist.com/clockwork-heart/
6 shares

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Why Brushes Matter (with Procreate's Kyle Webster)

Season 3 · Episode 5

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 33:01

Procreate's Kyle Webster, the Internet's favorite digital art brush builder, on why brush choice matters more than many artists realize.

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00:00 Episode Start

02:40 Why Brushes Matter At Studios

08:45 Why Brushes Matter For Beginners

09:27 Why You Should "Audition" Your Digital Art Brushes

10:55 Why Brushes Matter for Artistic Style

13:45 Why Brushes Matter To Kyle

15:44 How Brushes Inspire New Styles

18:09 Why Brushes Matter for Workflow

21:04 Why Brushes Matter for Speed

21:55 Best/ Worst Advice

26:51 Who's Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

28:49 The Magic Feather

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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Writing Comics For Kids (with Shawn Pryor)

Season 3 · Episode 4

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 • Duration 28:47

Shawn Pryor, author of over sixty published books and graphic novels (most for all ages), offers insights on outlining, working with artists and the essential role of conflict in story development.

01:55 An Expansive Bibliography

03:09 Finding Something To Say

04:37 The "Conflict List"

07:17 Developing The Outline

11:32 Placing The Act Breaks

13:56 The First Draft Transition

15:27 Working With Artists

21:00 Common Problems With Comic Scripts

22:09 When Is A Script Finished?

23:59 Best/ Worst Advice

25:44 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?

26:06 The Magic Feather

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Subscribe to You're A Better Artist Than You Think: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Get FREE digital art brushes every month for a year when you join The Magic Box Brush Club at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Connect with Shawn: https://ShawnPryor.com

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Solve Plot Problems with "Mirrored" Story Structure (with KM Weiland)

Season 3 · Episode 3

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 • Duration 58:22

KM Weiland, author of "Creating Character Arcs" and "Structuring Your Novel" reveals how to solve plot problems using "chiastic" or "mirrored" story structure.

Plus: Understanding "The Thematic Lie" and building the most important structural "beat" in storytelling!

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00:00 Episode Start
02:15 Introduction To "Mirrored" Storytelling
03:04 The Hook And Resolution
03:37 The "Normal" World & The "New" World
05:13 Mirrored Story Structure in "Toy Story"
06:40 Join The Magic Box Brush Club
07:06 How Act Breaks Mirror Each Other
10:25 The Thematic Lie
15:47 The Midpoint As A Mirror
28:51 Solving Story Problems With "Mirrored" Structure
31:07 Structural Timing
34:46 Why Story Structure Matters
40:30 Making Story Structure Your Own
42:59 Best/ Worst Advice
44:46 What Was Your Personal Midpoint As An Artist?
48:19 Mindset Shift
51:34 The Magic Feather
57:14 End Credits

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SPOILER WARNING: This conversation contains major spoilers for Toy Story and minor spoilers for The Godfather and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Find KM Weiland's books and blog at http://HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com and learn more about our mentorship program The Clockwork Heart at http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

Season 3 · Episode 2

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 • Duration 42:43

In this episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think: Why "time management" so rarely works for artists and four tips for a more effective solution.

As creative people, we care a lot about time because our projects require so much of it. Furthermore, many, if not most of us want to spend more time working on our creative projects, not less. Even when we're successful in implementing "time management" strategies, the strategies themselves are not.

That's because "time management," as it's commonly understood, is not the solution, but rather, priority management. With these four priority management tips, you'll learn how to give your best energy to what matters most in your creative life.

00:00 Intro/ Theme Music

00:17 Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

00:56 Get Free Digital Art Brushes Every Month!

01:24 Give Your Best To Your Project

16:48 Tip #1: Make Early Easier

18:30 Tip #2: Plan For Smooth Transitions

29:16 Tip #3: Optimize Your Workspace

43:26 Tip #4: End With Preparation

Get new digital art brushes with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

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12 Tips For Finishing Ambitious Creative Projects (with Victoria Ying)

Season 3 · Episode 1

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 • Duration 49:34

Victoria Ying, animation visual development artist (Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6) and comics creator (City Of Secrets, Harvey winner Hungry Ghost) joins for today's episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think!

Learn how to avoid overwhelm, burnout and art-related injuries, set realistic deadlines and push through the boredom when attempting ambitious, creative projects.

Plus: Why routines aren't for everyone...

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00:00 Episode Start
00:22 Tip #1: Start Small
04:04 Tip #2: Accept The Boredom
06:41 Tip #3: Know Your Timelines
09:25 Tip #4: Practice Finishing
11:11 Tip #5: Routines Aren't For Everyone:
14:21 Tip #6: Find The Friction
16:17 Tip #7: Work With What Ya' Got
17:44 Tip #8: Break Down Deadlines
19:27 Tip #9: Mind Your Body
21:56 Tip #10: The Longer The Project, The More Opportunity For Setbacks
27:32 Tip #11: Just Get To The End
28:36 Tip #12: Find Your People
32:42 Best/ Worst Advice:
34:16 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?
34:46 The Magic Feather:
36:09 Read/Watch/Play/Listen

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Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Jim Henson's Creative Legacy (with Karen Falk)

Season 2 · Episode 9

Wednesday, January 8, 2025 • Duration 40:16

The Jim Henson Company Archives’ Director and Historian Karen Falk offers insights into Jim’s creative process, his collaborative style of leadership and the evolution of his characters.

If you’re listening on one of the audio-only platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I do want to encourage you to check out the video version on our YouTube channel where we’ll feature images from the new edition of Karen’s book titled “Jim Henson’s: Imagination Illustrated” as well as photos and video clips from my visits to various Henson exhibits.

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00:00 Intro

00:11 Theme Music

00:35 Interview Begins

00:58 Jim Henson's Imagination Illustrated

03:19 More Than Muppets

06:02 Jim's Personal Touch

07:13 Jim's Fearlessness

08:32 Jim Henson The Character Designer

09:20 From 2D To 3D

10:30 A More Professional Finish

13:12 Jim Henson's Character Designers

14:27 Jim Henson The Director

16:14 Controlled Chaos

17:04 Joining The Jim Henson Company

18:22 Jim's Red Book Blog

20:35 Puppet Preservation

22:06 The Museum Partners

26:47 Character Design Evolution

30:30 The Historical Record

31:40 The Jim Henson Legacy

35:11 Karen's Unique Perspective

38:06 Credits

Interacting With Color: Insights From Josef Albers

Season 2 · Episode 8

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 • Duration 32:01

Author Fritz Horstman of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation reveals how color "lies" to our eyes and why that matters to artists.

PLUS: Changing our relationship to color from "painful" to "playful."

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00:37 What Josef Albers Means To Present-Day Artists

01:24 Interaction Of Color

02:28 Science Vs Experience

03:51 Color Relativity

04:58 Playing With Color

06:04 Homage To The Square

06:49 The Personification Of Color

07:50 Rothko And Albers

11:15 Interacting With Color

15:11 Let Color Come To You

16:16 How To Play With Color

18:18 Color Intervals

18:48 The Illusion Of Transparency

19:45 Color And Music

21:27 How Color Distorts Proportion

22:55 To Open Eyes

24:56 No "Favorite" Colors

26:29 Developing Your Tolerance For Ambiguity

26:58 Color For Non-Artists

27:47 The Magic Feather

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Did Disney Learn His Lesson? Inside The Animation Strike Of 1941

Season 2 · Episode 7

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 • Duration 41:19

"The Disney Revolt" author Jake Friedman surveys the infamous animation strike of 1941, and explains why it matters to present-day artists.

We consider the cost of Walt Disney's perfectionism, the painful, personal consequences of his decisions, and whether he ever learned from them.

PLUS: The most influential Disney animator you've never heard of...

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00:49 Introduction: The Disney Animators' Strike Of 1941

04:08 Disney Vs. Disney

06:37 Art Babbitt - The Most Influential Disney Artist You've Never Heard Of

12:47 Reconstructing The Timeline Of The Disney Strike

15:37 Would The Disney Strike Have Happened Without Art Babbitt?

17:27 Loyalty Above Creativity?

19:01 Products Of Our Influences

20:08 How Walt Disney Was Like Michael Scott From "The Office"

22:44 When Disney History Repeats Itself

25:18 You Can't Fire Family

26:23 The Cost Of Walt's Perfectionism

28:41 Walt Supported His Artists (Until He Didn't)

31:37 The Emotional Ending

34:37 Did Walt Ever Learn His Lesson?

35:42 Was Walt Anti-Union?

39:15 Learn More At TheDisneyRevolt.com

39:55 Credits

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year:

The ImagineFX "Rising Stars" of 2D & 3D Art [Part 2]

Season 2 · Episode 6

Thursday, October 17, 2024 • Duration 40:41

Nine of my current mentees were named “Rising Stars” of 2d & 3d art by ImagineFX magazine.

In this two-part interview series, they’re here to share stories of artistic development and how being selected for the article affected their mindsets.

Illustrator Andrea Ivetic Vicai begins the episode with a positive spin on the more frustrating aspects of illustration.

Next, animation artist Lucy Ledsam talks about finding an art career that matches your personality.

VR artist Elizabeth Person and CG artist Carmen Thora Smith talk about making the switch from painting to 3d.

…and finally, character designer Laura Horan presents the benefits of an agile creative process.

Find links to their portfolios and samples of their art at bit.ly/ifxmb

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01:18 Illustrator Andrea Ivetic Vicai:

02:17 Infinite Challenge = Infinite Inspiration

03:46 The Devil On The Shoulder

04:52 Be Your Own Best Friend

06:36 Andrea's Magic Feather

08:09 Animation Artist Lucy Ledsam:

08:48 "I'm Not Big And Bombastic..."

12:14 Advice For Non-Bombastic Artists

13:05 Lucy's Magic Feather

18:01 VR Artist Elizabeth Person:

18:26 Specialization As Curation

18:59 Switching Industries

23:14 Lizzy's Magic Feather

23:51 Disney Is Convenient

25:53 CG Artist Carmen Thora Smith:

The ImagineFX "Rising Stars" of 2D & 3D Art [Part 1]

Season 2 · Episode 5

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 • Duration 57:02

What would you do if you learned that your artwork would be featured in an industry-leading magazine for creative professionals all over the world?

…and you only had a few days to select and submit your samples, write a professional bio and a short blurb about each submission, update your website and prepare a series of social media posts to coincide with the publication date?

Would you find that inspiring?

…motivating?

…terrifying?

Nine of my students faced this question when they were named among ImagineFX Magazine’s “Rising Stars” of 2D and 3D art.

…and they’re all here to talk about this career-defining moment.

They’ll share their initial reactions and the challenges they encountered throughout the process. They open up about their struggles with self-doubt, perfectionism, and the super-tight deadline.

…and offer insights about how the experience changed them.

…probably forever.

Today, in part one of a two part series, we’ll hear from Mutia Terian, Rami Juma, Dan Tompkins and Veronica Kosowski - in that order.

You can find samples of their work and links to connect with each of them at http://bit.ly/ifxmb

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00:00 Intro

01:29 Learn More At MagicBoxAcademy.com

01:47 Mutia Terian: Animation Artist

02:50 Mutia Terian: Developing Confidence

07:07 Mutia Terian: Defining Confidence

09:54 Mutia Terian: What To Do When You're Stuck

11:10 Mutia's Magic Feather

16:49 Rami Juma: Digital Painter

You're A Better Artist Than You Think – Details, episodes & analysis

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You're A Better Artist Than You Think – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Spotify

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